Why January is NOT the Time to Lose Weight

Thinking of hiring a Personal Trainer or joining Boot Camp? Read this first...

Welcome January, how you doing?! I hope you all had an amazing Christmas and spent some good quality time with your loved ones. And thank you so much for all your amazing contributions to our Salvation Army Un-needed Christmas Stodge Amnesty, as well as your lovely feedback on the healthy Christmas recipes we shared on Facebook and Instagram over the holidays 🙂

This is undoubtedly our busiest time of year, with many residents of Southampton signing up to a course of Boot camp or enlisting the help of a personal trainer, following a particularly indulgent Christmas and a 'New Year New Me' New Year's Resolution.

If this sounds like you, here's our number one piece of advice: Don't embark on any new program to lose weight or to look a certain way, in order to become a 'new you'.

We have met so many people who have let themselves become defined by how much weight, or even how many dress sizes they have lost. It can quickly and all-too-easily become an obsession, leading to a very unhealthy mind-set and life full of rules, restrictions and stress.

Lots of our boot camp attendees have come to us following experiences of this at slimming and weight-loss clubs. They've explained how the collective group environment no longer felt like a fellowship of group support, but competition, restrictions and negativity. And is that a life that sounds like living?! No wonder so many New Year's resolutions are abandoned after a few months or even weeks...

If you feel you'd like to start eating healthier and exercising more, do it first and foremost for your health. As well as to make yourself feel awesome!

We promote a mindful, relaxed and peaceful approach to life, which takes into account the most important thing: living it and enjoying every moment!

Rather than dwelling on past fears and anxieties, think about your new intentions for your health, not just your body. Making yourself smaller is not going to change who you are. You'll still be the same person! Your body is the only one you'll ever have, so embrace it's capabilities and learn to be at peace with it, rather than looking and comparing it to other peoples.

We do not believe in diets, fads, quick fixes, rules or restrictions. If you don't get it right 100% of the time, it does not make you a failure. Follow your intuition and let go of thoughts, behaviours - and maybe even certain people, that are not helpful to you.